Fans get big treat in Mets’ 14-inning win

The Philadelphia Phillies couldn’t get a win on a night their fans were cheering some historic news.

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Ronny Paulino had a career-high five hits in his first start for the Mets, including a go-ahead double in the 14th inning, and New York beat the Phillies 2-1 after news of Osama bin Laden’s death had fans at Citizens Bank Park chanting ”U-S-A! U-S-A!”

The chants started in the top of the ninth inning and picked up in intensity throughout the inning. Philadelphia players weren’t sure what was happening until alerted of the news by center fielder Shane Victorino.

”I was sitting in the dugout and didn’t understand what was going on for a minute,” Philadelphia starter Cliff Lee said.

People could be spotted all over the ballpark checking their phones as the news was breaking that the United States had killed the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks.

”Evidently they were happy,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, ”but I was more concentrating on the game.”

Asked his reaction, Lee added, ”It took them long enough.”

The potent Phillies offense managed just seven hits against six Mets pitchers.

”There were opportunities for us to win the game, but we just couldn’t get a hit,” Manuel said.

Mets starter Chris Young set the tone, as the right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out seven.

”He’s very deceptive,” Manuel said. ”At the same time, we should score some runs on him.”

Lee gave up at least one hit in every frame and was lifted after seven innings, giving up a run on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

”They definitely made me work a lot,” Lee said.

Taylor Buchholz (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to help New York snap a three-game losing streak and salvage a game in the series.

Kyle Kendrick (1-2), one of six Philadelphia pitchers used in the 4-hour, 44-minute game, pitched three innings and allowed four hits.

David Wright led off the 14th with a single to left and went to second on Jason Bay’s one-out single to center. After Ike Davis flew out to the warning track in center, Paulino laced a double to left to score Wright and put New York up 2-1.

Paulino finished 5 for 7 in his second game of the season for New York. He was placed on the DL on April 10 with anemia after missing the first eight games while serving the remainder of a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

”That’s pretty impressive, five hits in his first full game,” Collins said. ”And he handled the pitchers very well.”

It was the first loss in a series finale this season for Philadelphia, which had been 8-0 in such games.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning on Carlos Beltran’s double that scored Wright, who had three singles.

Young cruised through six innings and wiggled out of a jam in the seventh.

”Probably a night I will never forget,” Young said. ”I was in the training room when I heard the announcement. I got chills hearing that crowd. It’s a historic night and a great victory for the United States.”

The Phillies loaded the bases without a hit in the seventh thanks to a pair of walks and a hit batter. But Brian Schneider struck out on a check swing to end the threat. Manuel was ejected for arguing by third-base umpire Lance Barksdale, who made the strike call on Schneider.

It was Manuel’s first ejection of the season.

The Phillies tied the game in the eighth when Ryan Howard lined a two-out single to left against left-handed reliever Tim Byrdak to score John Mayberry.

Byrdak was replaced by Francisco Rodriguez, who walked Ben Francisco to load the bases before getting Raul Ibanez to ground out to second to end the inning.

For Ibanez, it completed an 0-for-4 night that stretched his slump to 0 for 34.

Philadelphia managed just two hits off Young, a third-inning double by Schneider and a fourth-inning single by Placido Polanco.

”Try to forget about it and come back Tuesday,” Howard said. ”It’s baseball. Those nights happen.”

Dating back to last season, Young is 3-0 with a 1.43 ERA in his last eight starts and he has not allowed more than one earned run in seven of the starts.

Polanco’s fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He is batting .429 (18 for 42) during the streak.

NOTES: Philadelphia OF Ross Gload was excused from the game due to the death of his grandfather. The Phillies dropped to 72-27 on Sundays at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004. … RHP Roy Oswalt is scheduled to return to the Phillies on Thursday and could start on Saturday. He left the Phillies last Wednesday to be with his family in tornado-ravaged Mississippi. LHP Cole Hamels will start Tuesday in place of Oswalt. … Philadelphia RF Domonic Brown, who broke his right hamate bone in spring training, will begin his rehab assignment in Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.